A Reason Why
by love from elysium
Summary: Seamus meets an unusal Slytherin girl who he finds intriguing. They're meetings and conversations soon turn into a necessity for both of them. But the Slytherin girl starts confiding in Seamus the dark secrets of her past. Please R & R! RATING MAY CHANGE!


Disclaimer : J. would laugh to see what I've done to her world of magic. That's probably why she wrote the series and not me.

This story is dedicated to one of my best friends ever, AmazionWarriorPrincess. You are amazing, love you! (Old, cold oatmeal and bitter cabbage)

WARNING: For the present this fic is rated T but when later chapters get posted the rating may have to be changed to M . I'm really sorry if that will change your mind about starting to read it but, the story could deal with issues that may offend some readers. So, I'm just letting everyone know that in advance so no one's disappointed or angry with me. 

Chapter 1

Things in Common

"Oh come on, Seamus, just admit it!" Dean said rather loudly earning a top notch glare from Madame Pince.

Seamus sighed "Honestly, Dean I was just daydreaming. You know, looking _through_ her, not at her."

Dean snorted "Mate, I'm sure better wizards than you or me would have a hard time looking through a girl with a chest like that." Dean glanced over his shoulder and whistled softly earning kick to the shins, courtesy of Seamus.

"Prat," he muttered under his breath, looking down to his first two sentences of a charms essay.

Seamus didn't go back to his work so easily. It was Sunday evening and he and Dean were sitting in the library in a mad rush to get their homework done for Monday classes. But Dean had been right. Seamus couldn't help staring at the fifth year Slytherin sitting in the corner by herself, reading. Though, he didn't stare for the reason Dean had thought. He was simply curious about the girl. Not that she wasn't pretty, she was extremely so, in Seamus's opinion. She had bluey, black hair cropped two inches short except for in the front where a long bang of thick, satin black hair covered her right eye like a curtain she used to hide behind. Her skin was a warm, milky peach colour that covered her full cheeks. Long fingers turned the page of the book she was reading carefully but quickly as if she were eager to keep reading.

Seamus's attention was brought back to Dean when he asked "What's her name, anyway?" obviously trying at a new tactic to make him talk.

"Cordelia Rooney," Seamus answered automatically without considering if he should even tell him or not. But, remembering his incomplete essay he picked up his quill.

"That's a strange name." Dean said.

Seamus just nodded not looking up from his work. He didn't agree, he liked her name but there was no point in arguing with Dean again, he needed to get this essay done. It was only November and his sixth year at Hogwarts was more demanding than he had expected. He and Dean had spent nearly every Sunday night after dinner here in the library trying to get all their work finished. Of course, it didn't help that they were perhaps the biggest pair of procrastinators that ever lived.

The evening dragged on and Seamus did his best to stay focused on his essay though he could not help himself from stealing the occasional glance at Cordelia, sitting in the window sill who had not moved more than to turn the page the entire night. He wondered how she could see to read with the curtain of hair that hung out as her head was bowed over the book. At eight thirty she was the only one left in the library aside from Dean, himself and of course Madam Pince. Dean had finished his essay and was returning his quill and ink to his bag along with the rolled up parchment that was his completed essay.

"You're night to return the books, eh mate?" Dean said, slapping a hand down on Seamus's shoulder. He nodded while scribbling the last few sentences onto the nearly full parchment.

"Meet you in the common room then." He walked away from the table where Seamus sat through the rows of shelves.

A couple minutes after Dean had left; Seamus finished his work and packed up his things. He threw his bag over his shoulder before gathering up the six thick volumes he and Dean had needed for their homework. The hardcovers weighted a lot and he had to hold them at waist level in order to see over the stack. After replacing the first book to its belonging shelf he went to rid himself of a second whose home was the shelf next to the window sill in which Cordelia sat reading. He approached it feeling nervous though he didn't truly know why. When he was just a meter or so away from her she lifted a delicate hand from the cover of the book to tuck her bangs behind her ear. Seamus took the chance to quickly read the title of the book she was reading.

"Alice in Wonderland?" He had been so surprised by the title that he had blurted out the name before thinking through what he was doing. Clear, gray eyes looked at him with surprise and she immediately let her black curtain cover one from his view.

"I –I'm sorry," he stuttered, trying to explain himself "it's just that I didn't know the library had muggle books."

"It doesn't," her voice smooth and gentle, "Unless you count the miserably small section for Muggle Studies. But even there you'd be hard pressed to find any muggle fiction a side from picture books." She put a fabric bookmark in between the pages to mark her place and closed the book.

"If I may ask," Seamus began, slowly "Where did you get it?"

Cordelia smirked. "My mother bought it for me from a muggle bookstore when I was four. But I think, what you're trying to get at is, yes, I'm a muggle born and, yes, I'm in Slytherin."

"I'm half and half. My mother's a witch and my father's a muggle. I haven't seen my dad since I was ten, though."

Cordelia's face remained unmoved, though eyes betrayed her showing deep empathy. "The world can be cruel." She lifted her hand and offered it to him. "I'm-"

"Cordelia, I know." Seamus tried to lift his hand from under the stack of books to take hers but as he did all five books went crashing to the floor. Seamus felt colour bloom in his cheeks as he bent down to collect the fallen books. Cordelia hid her smile from him as she whipped out her wand but there was mistaking the smile in her voice as she charmed the books.

"_Reverto domus_" The books immediately lifted themselves from the floor and returned to their respective shelves.

"Thank you," Seamus said, standing back up. She was still smiling as she tucked her wand back into her robes. Cordelia once again offered Seamus her hand which this time he took without difficulty. He held her cold hand in his for a brief moment. Then she said "I, as well, know who you are; Seamus." He nodded surprised but pleased that she knew who he was.

Cordelia pulled her out stretched legs into her chest and moved her book to her side, making room for him to sit on the ledge with her. Seamus carefully climbed up onto the sill and rested his back against the wall opposite the one she leaned against then pulled his legs in identical to the way she had hers. They sat facing each other, Cordelia with head turned towards the window. Her forehead rested against the glass as she looked out into the dark landscape.

"Why," Seamus asked in a voice barely more than a whisper, not wanting to disturb her thoughts "don't you read in your house common room, for you have no need of the library's books?"

"The Slytherin common room is in the dungeons. The dungeons have no windows." She answered simply, her gaze not wandering from the window.

To Seamus, her answer made sense enough but he couldn't help wondering if there was something more to it than that.

"I've read Alice and Wonderland, too. Though, I always found it disturbing that Lewis Carroll was under the influence of drugs when he wrote it. It kind of made me think twice about that Cheshire cat."

A smile flooded across her face and she chimed a laugh. "Yeah, I tend to agree but doesn't what make it all the more exciting to read?"

Seamus just nodded. Her laughter had touched a nerve in his chest that triggered odd feelings. They were both quiet for a while when they heard someone walk down the main aisle of the library between the shelves. Cordelia put a finger to her lips and Seamus nodded. Neither of them moved as Madame Pince looked down the row they in and then walked on. A minute later she walked back up through the library and muttered a quiet "_Knox_" and the light was taken from the room. Then the shutting of the door and jingle of the magical keys confirmed Madame Pince's departure.

"She didn't see us and now were locked inside because the library door gets locked with a special set of keys that no spell can counter." Cordelia confirmed though she didn't seem the least bit concerned about their situation. Seamus on the other hand wouldn't want to know what Dean and Fred and George for that matter would say about him being locked in a library all night with a Slytherin girl, they'd make fun of him until the day he died. _Yeah, definately have to get out of here. _

"What should we do?" he asked.

"Well, I guess our only way out is through the window." She said "But I doubt these have been opened in a while so we better be careful."

Cordelia drew her wand and forced the window open slowly with a spell Seamus had never heard before. Then they both took off their cloaks and threw them out the window along with Seamus's bag and Cordelia's book.

"I'll go through first and wait for outside." Seamus whispered.

"Be careful it's farther down than you think," she whispered back.

Seamus nodded then pushed himself out the window feet first. His legs stung when he hit the ground as his knees jarred from the impacted. He muttered quiet curse to himself and tried to shake away the pain. When he looked up again Cordelia was leaning out the window.

"You alright, Seamus?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. The landing just jars your legs a bit," he said, trying to sound indifferent. "I'm going to catch you so you don't hurt yourself, alright?"

"I'm not as fragile as I look, know you."

"Yeah, but still."

"Okay, but make sure _you_ don't get hurt trying to catch me."

She lowered herself out the window so swiftly that Seamus almost wasn't ready in time. He almost slipped in the grass as he caught her with one arm around the small of her back and one around the back of her bare thighs just underneath her Slytherin skirt. Her arms were on his shoulders and her cheek against his.

"You okay?" Seamus asked, holding her for as long as he would allow himself.

"I'm fine," Cordelia answered softly in his ear. Reluctantly, he put her down slowly and they each picked up their things.

"We better get going," She said. They both started to run towards the Entrance Doors, laughing as the other would slip on the wet grass. When had made it inside Cordelia turned to Seamus.

"This was fun," She said honestly. Seamus nodded.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" He asked her. Cordelia smiled from behind her curtain of hair.

"If you'd like."

"Where should we meet?"

"I'll find you in the Great Hall after dinner."

"Alright."

"Goodnight, Seamus." She said quietly.

" 'Night, Cordelia."

Then they each went their separate directions to their common rooms. Both still thinking of the other.

**Thank you so much for reading the first chapter of this fic, I hope you enjoyed it! I love everyone those takes a few seconds to review it and give suggestions. Also, you may like my other fic I've posted called "Rise From the Ashes" please check it out!**


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